Fifth edition International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism develops successful agenda of panels and conferences

35 local and international experts met to propose measures and strategies for the pandemic, vaccination and relaunch of tourism and the economy

The Dominican Republic has established itself as the first destination in the Caribbean and Central America in medical tourism. With these perspectives, the fifth edition of the International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism has been strengthened as an ideal space for all actors in the health tourism value chain to develop their ideas, synergies and approaches to the current challenges of the sector.

This event organized by the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS) and the Communication and Public Relations firm, AF Comunicación Estratégica, brought together local participants and from the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Panama.

“Today more than ever, health and tourism require innovation and complementarity under public-private partnership in a collaborative and strategic way, so we propose to create the conditions for the formation of the National Health Tourism Council, launching the national strategy for the development of the sector and the concept of healthy cities,” said Dr. Cambiaso.  President of the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS), at the opening ceremony of the activity.

Amelia Reyes Mora, who is president of AF Comunicación Estratégica and vice president of ADTS, said in her speech that “with great satisfaction we are witnessing the willingness of the public and private sectors to join forces to move forward and make this congress a reality, as it is part of the strategy created to support the diversification of the tourism portfolio of the Dominican Republic.”

62 companies and organizations supported the celebration of this biennial event that led to innovation, competitiveness and quality standards of health and tourism services in the country.

Release of the third edition of the Dominican Republic Health Tourism Destination Guide

Within the framework of the activity, they presented the third edition of the “Health Tourism Destination Guide of the Dominican Republic”, an ideal instrument to guide international patients in the process of choosing a reliable health provider. Its content includes information on health and wellness centers; hospitals, hotels, airports, financial institutions; as well as existing investment opportunities in the country.

The guide is available in Apple Books and Amazon Kindle eBook format. It will have international diffusion and visibility.

Recognitions

As usual, this event recognizes institutions that have stood out for their contributions to health tourism. This year the Espaillat Cabral Institute was recognized for being the first internationally accredited center, by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), which exceeds the international standards required in the practice of medicine with a special focus on patient safety.

Likewise, the “Safe Tourism Assistance Plan” executed by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES) Banco de Reservas and Seguros Reservas, institutions that developed an innovative product that protects the health of tourists in situations of medical emergencies and covid-19, thus favoring the reactivation of Dominican tourism safely, was awarded.

Panels and knowledge sharing

The organizers reported that the fifth edition of the International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism exhausted an agenda that included conferences and panels by important local and international exhibitors. The program fostered the exchange of knowledge, business and synergies between leaders of the health tourism value chain.

On the organization of the meeting, Amelia Reyes Mora, president of AF Comunicación Estratégica said “by trusting Ducto Limpio, air circulation, sanitation, disinfection and cleaning of all areas where the event took place, we transmit the necessary confidence to face-to-face attendees, given that covid-19 will be our reality for a while and as a company we assume the commitment to guarantee the good development of corporate events under international standards  of safety in times of pandemic”.

Referring to this support, Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, president of the ADTS, said that “the pandemic highlighted the need to continue reinventing ourselves, advancing and strengthening ties between the public and private sectors, encouraging investment in new projects that generate jobs and technology transfer, establishing a greater link with the main issuing markets of tourists and patients. This congress favors best practices and promotes international accreditation and destination safety.”